RF inductor guide: wirewound, multilayer ceramic, thin film, high-Q, SRF. ADD stocks Coilcraft, Murata, TDK, Vishay. Buy RF inductors online from HK distributor.
RF Inductors: Wirewound, Multilayer Ceramic and Thin Film
RF inductors provide precise, low-loss inductance at radio and microwave frequencies, typically ranging from a few nanohenries up to several microhenries. Their performance is defined not just by inductance but by quality factor (Q), self-resonant frequency (SRF) and current handling at high frequency. ADD Components, an independent electronic components distributor, sources RF inductors from Coilcraft, Murata, TDK and Vishay for RF matching networks, oscillators, filters and impedance transformation circuits. Our team supports both prototype quantities and production volumes for wireless, IoT and RF infrastructure designs.
Product Types / Variants
Wirewound RF Inductors
Wirewound RF inductors are built by winding fine wire around a ceramic or air core. They deliver the highest Q and best current handling in the RF family, along with tight tolerance and excellent repeatability. Ceramic-core wirewound parts are the preferred choice for high-performance matching networks, VCOs and filters where low loss and stable inductance are essential.
Multilayer Ceramic RF Inductors
Multilayer ceramic chip inductors are manufactured by printing coil patterns onto ceramic layers and stacking them into a monolithic SMD package. This construction yields very small footprints, low cost and high reliability in high-volume production. Multilayer parts suit decoupling, impedance matching and RF chokes in compact wireless devices such as smartphones and modules.
Thin Film RF Inductors
Thin film inductors use photolithographic patterning and sputtering to form extremely precise coil structures on a substrate. This produces the tightest inductance tolerances, the best temperature stability and very high SRF in ultra-small packages. Thin film RF inductors are ideal for high-frequency matching and filtering where repeatability and minimal variation are critical.
Key Selection Parameters
Inductance value, typically specified in nanohenries (nH) up to microhenries (uH).
Quality factor (Q), indicating how low-loss the inductor is at the operating frequency.
Self-resonant frequency (SRF), above which the part behaves as a capacitor.
Inductance tolerance, from tight thin film tolerances to wider multilayer values.
DC resistance (DCR) and rated current for power-handling limits.
Package size, such as 0201, 0402, 0603 or 0805, and mounting style.
Temperature coefficient of inductance for stable performance over temperature.
Frequency range of the application to match Q and SRF requirements.
Shielding and packaging options to minimize coupling and simplify placement.
High-Q and Self-Resonant Frequency Explained
The quality factor Q measures the ratio of stored energy to dissipated energy per cycle; a higher Q means lower loss and sharper filter or resonator response. The self-resonant frequency is the point where the inductor's parasitic capacitance resonates with its own inductance. Above the SRF the component no longer behaves inductively, so designers must choose parts whose SRF comfortably exceeds the operating frequency. For the highest Q in a given size, wirewound construction generally leads, followed by thin film and then multilayer ceramic.
Typical Applications
RF inductors are fundamental to wireless and high-frequency signal chains. In RF matching networks, wirewound ceramic inductors transform impedance between stages to maximize power transfer in antennas, power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers. In oscillators and voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), high-Q inductors set the resonant tank that determines frequency stability and phase noise.
Thin film and multilayer ceramic inductors are the standard choice for compact filter designs in smartphones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, where tiny 0201 and 0402 packages and tight tolerances matter most. RF chokes built from multilayer parts isolate bias and supply lines from the signal path, while wirewound parts provide the current handling needed in power amplifier bias networks and RF front-end modules.
Representative Inductors We Source
| Part Number | Brand | Type | Key Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0603CS-10NXJLW | Coilcraft | Wirewound ceramic | 10 nH, 2% tol, Q 38 at 250 MHz |
| 0603CS-82NXJLW | Coilcraft | Wirewound ceramic | 82 nH, 2% tol, SRF 1.7 GHz |
| 0805CS-101XJLW | Coilcraft | Wirewound ceramic | 100 nH, 5% tol, SRF 1.4 GHz |
| LQW18AN10NG00D | Murata | Wirewound ceramic | 10 nH, 0603, high Q |
| LQW15AN3N3B00D | Murata | Wirewound ceramic | 3.3 nH, 0402, SRF 10 GHz |
| LQP03TN4N7H02D | Murata | Thin film | 4.7 nH, 0201, SRF 6.5 GHz |
| MLG0603P10NJT000 | TDK | Multilayer ceramic | 10 nH, 0603, 5% tol |
| MLK1005S27NJT000 | TDK | Multilayer ceramic | 27 nH, 0402, high SRF |
| IMC1210ER1R0K | Vishay | Wirewound | 1.0 uH, 1210, 380 mA |
| 0603CS-4N7XJLW | Coilcraft | Wirewound ceramic | 4.7 nH, 2% tol, high Q |
Send Us Your Inductor Requirements
ADD Components supplies RF inductors for matching networks, oscillators, filters and wireless front-end designs. Send us your Coilcraft, Murata, TDK or Vishay part numbers, or your electrical specifications, and our team will return a competitive quotation for prototypes or inductor wholesale volumes.
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Last updated on September 04, 2026